Arc of All Trades

Twin Cavalry Sabers

Setup and Chapter 1

This is among the many stories I've written since I've last been on FF, the first in what will hopefully be an interesting series, and something that's been on my mind for some time by now. I've had plenty of time to write them all out at least partially, so you won't have to worry much about slow progress. Now, I believe I have to explain some things.

Setup

The whole premise of the Arc of All Trades series is to find new classes of weapon which Jaune Arc could've used to gain the edge he most desperately lacked. The plot will change his history from canon far more than most other stories, and many more times than any other ongoing series. In each story, one-shot or not, Jaune will be given a new story and a new weapon or class of weapon, sometimes no weapon at all. Sometimes, he will have a new Semblance, or none at all. You decide his story, you choose the weapon, you choose his power, and I will take them to the logical extremes.

Welcome, Arc of All Trades. This time, we give you the following:

Weaponry: heavy cavalry saber, 1861-1865 model (2x).

Semblance: Switch, allows user to switch places with one person, creature, or other assorted entity instantly. Drawbacks: nausea, confusion, potential injury. Aura use: 5 percent at 20 meters, 5 minute cooldown minimum at 20 meters expands with distance.

Chapter 1

Jaune was unfocused on the airship. Something was off about some of the people around him. Either they were supernatural, or some form of something was ripping away at their ability to perceive motion, because he was getting nausea and a feeling of dread simultaneously. He'd heard about airship crashes even in the modern airline business, and that was with all the new and fancy features. Dust propulsion really needed some form of replacement. At least he'd know when it'd all be over.

He barely convinced himself to get off the airship. When he did, he took in the view of Beacon and nearly disregarded it trying not to hurl from both nausea and fear. He stayed there, taking in the view of the scenery, the sky, the people, until he saw a young red-haired girl with a red cloak fall into a… thing of someone's stuff. Said someone was evidently unhappy, blissfully ignorant of the circumstances. She took a vial of red Dust and started shaking it angrily, filling the air with a cloud of red which made the younger girl sneeze with an explosion; the red vial went flying, but Jaune caught it with his off-hand. The explosion made the white-haired lady bark even louder and harder. Jaune walked over and gave the lady an unimpressed look. She immediately stopped her tirade to glare at Jaune.

"Excuse me," she said with that whiny attitude. "Who do you think you're staring at, Dull-Eyes?"

Jaune's eyes sharpened immediately.

"I was going to return this to you on the condition that you stop making a scene," Jaune stated bluntly. "And don't call me Dull-Eyes, I have a name y'know."

"I'll call you whatever I want, Dull-Eyes. Now give me my Dust back, Dull-Eyes."

"Stop calling me Dull-Eyes and promise that you will move along, and I will." He got a tempted sparkle in his eyes. "Ice Queen."

The white-haired woman blushed a deep red upon hearing that name. Almost immediately, she slapped Jaune across the face, took the vial, and walked off. Evidently, she didn't like that name for whatever reason.

"I think you just made her mad," the redhead mentioned the obvious.

"I'm not sure I deserved that," Jaune mumbled. "I'm also certain that that could've gone much worse than it did. And knowing my luck, it probably should've."

He looked around and, noticing no one else around other than the servant-guys cleaning up the mess and the redhead muttering something about her luck, he rubbed his face where Ice Queen had slapped him.

"Hey, wanna go to… wherever it is we're going to, together," the redhead asked Jaune, almost sounding desperate. He turned his attention to her and, upon seeing her lonely gaze, smiled in amusement. It seems he wasn't the only one with bad luck.

"Sure," he said, wanting to get his mind off of the flying death trap they'd just departed from.

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness isn't as uncommon a problem as one might expect," Jaune argued as the two walked around part of the courtyard. He was once certain that he'd memorized the layout of the grounds, but he didn't quite remember it as well as he thought he did.

"Hey, I said I was sorry for calling you 'Olive Garden'," Ruby apologized. Jaune, while he didn't lose his lunch on the airship, certainly wasn't good at hiding his weakness.

"Well, what if I called you 'Crater Face'," he demanded. She'd already explained what had happened to her then, but he was trying to make a point. One that went right over her head, apparently.

"That explosion was an accident, alright," she defended. He accepted the fact that it went right over her head and simply tried ending that conversation.

"Well the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." He felt her trying not to laugh at this.

"Do they?"

"I'm certain they would, if they didn't mind dating the son of a weapons historian." That didn't exactly sound right. His father was only a weapons historian by hobby; the man's real job was more along the lines of mineral excavation, mining for precious metals, as well as new fuel alternatives naturally under the ground. That was how Jaune had found both cavalry sabers he kept with him more for luck than anything: his father accidentally uncovered a crypt while mining, which contained the sabers of more than a hundred generals from multiple ancient kingdoms.

"Wait, you're a weapons historian?" Ruby's eyes were shining bright, like an eager puppy eyeing a toy dangling in its face. He decided to elaborate.

"Well, I'm not the weapons historian, per se," Jaune explained. "My dad is, for a hobby. He's actually a mineral excavator, alternative fuels locater, and geology expert with a major in ancient civilization history. Mom is a paleontologist with a minor in evolutionary biology. My sisters are all over the place in what they like, and my brother enrolled in a university just recently. All in all, I just so happen to know a great deal about stuff, social life not included."

Ruby snorted, trying desperately to hold back a laugh.

"Speaking of weapons and knowledge, I believe most everyone here has a weapon of some kind, right," Jaune used this opportunity to change subjects. "So, do you have one with you, or did you leave it with someone?"

"OH, right," she cried. She immediately pulled a red box off of the back of her belt. "I've been waiting to show this off for so long. Say hello to Crescent Rose." The 2-foot skinny box transformed into one of the biggest weaponized scythes Jaune had ever seen. He screeched and hopped back, more scared of how easily she spun it around instead of the weapon itself.

"That's a weaponized scythe, right," the blond whispered, cowering slightly.

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle," she said proudly. Huh?

"A what now?"

"It's also a gun." That makes sense. Ruby put away the 6-foot scythe and stared at Jaune eagerly, as if waiting for him to draw on a weapon of his own.

"Well, I've got this thing," he drew his arming sword and heat shield. "It really doesn't do much other than look pretty and be sharp. My great-grandfather used it back in the war. I've kept it polished and sharp for so long now that it's basically been mine ever since he died a year ago."

"Well, what about your shield," Ruby asked, reaching out to touch the shield. "It looks like it turns into a sheath of some kind - ."

"GAGH," the shield popped off his arm as it transformed into sheath and shield over and over again as it jumped around and bumped into things. Jaune finally wrested control of the blasted thing before putting it back on his arm. "Well, as you can plainly see, you're absolutely right. It's all spring powered, and evidently very sensitive to gentle touches. Don't worry about a hard impact, those don't make it do anything except take the hit."

"Well, what about those other things," Ruby pointed at the sabers held at his hips.

"Oh, those? I just keep them around for luck, I suppose," he admitted. "If I'm not mistaken, they're heavy cavalry sabers, back from some bygone era. They don't have any Dust inside them, and they're very old. If Dad was right when he dated them, they're from anywhere between 1861 to 1865. Back before Dust was put in everything."

"Wow, that's pretty old," Ruby commented rather bluntly. "Well, I like them. Not many people have an appreciation for the classics." The duo kept walking as Jaune tried remembering the map he'd read. "So, have you ever used those sabers?"

"Not with a horse, but I have used them before," Jaune answered. "I've also ridden a horse before, and I have one back home."

"I guess it's a good thing you know how to use them without a horse, right," Ruby joked semi-seriously. "After all, even cavalry riders get knocked off their horses from time to time."

Jaune swallowed at the idea. He had no intention of becoming a Riding Huntsman, just a normal one for now. That was, after all, why he was here. Still, he would openly admit that it was good that he could use them if he was ever caught in such a bind. He made a mental note to call his sisters, ask them if one of them could send him a horse.

Thinking about horses, by some awkward and cruel twist of fate, Jaune remembered the map and figured their position through some quick thinking.

"Now that I think about it, we're pretty off-course," Jaune stated out of the blue. "We're supposed to be going that way," he pointed to a large coliseum-like building in the distance.

After the two arrived and Ruby reunited with her sister, Jaune hardly paid attention to his surroundings, even when Ice Queen came over to Ruby and started talking nonsense again. His head perked up when he heard the Headmaster clear his throat. He was obviously nervous, as he'd lied on his Transcripts. His biggest and only lies on the Transcripts were as follows: he stated he had a weapon of his own when he was literally borrowing his grandfather's sword and his only other blades were more like good luck charms; he claimed that he had an Aura unlocked when he, in reality, had no idea what he was even talking about; and, to top it all off, he claimed he had a knack for history, despite the fact that it was only for weapons, pre-, and industrial/military history. Fortunately, the Headmaster wasn't calling him out.

"I'll… keep this brief," Ozpin promised. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And, when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. A need of purpose, direction." What a letdown. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." That brought the students' moods up a little, but Jaune had a hard time understanding this. Of course knowledge, effort, skill, and efficiency in training were required to become a Huntsman, even those who rode horses or other beasts or vehicles. So what was the first step supposed to be, or mean for that matter? The Headmaster's assistant came on stage just after he left the stage.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight," she instructed. "Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." That was awkward in the highest sense of the word. No wonder everyone seemed to be questioning their reasons for being here - Ozpin seemed totally out of it, and his Assistant Headmaster seemed just as overwhelmingly bored with life.

"Well, that happened," Jaune commented to himself, unintentionally causing several people to burst out laughing. He was about to head over to where Assistant Headmaster Goodwitch told them to, but just as he turned he stepped on something slippery. As it turned out, someone had dropped their soap, and he'd just stepped on it. The floor was made of either linoleum or some breed of polished metal, making him glide to the ground despite how dry the soap was. That, he felt, was the beginning of a long-running joke that may never end.

Jaune had just stepped out of the bathrooms in his blue onesie, which he always wore both as an alternative to a blanket and as a way to hide something far more embarrassing: the fact that he had the mark of a Beast Whisperer. All Arcs, as well as a few more random people around the world, bore these marks and were able to understand all creatures, including the more intelligent Grimm. This practically marked him as no better than Faunus, as most Beast Whisperers had brainwaves that could match those of any creature that ever walked, flew, or swam in the history of the planet. So while his onesie was embarrassing to wear, the way his incredible history was portrayed on his chest was far more embarrassing than any onesie he could ever wear. Well, aside from the one he wore as a baby, which had the words 'I'm a big goofball' in front of the image of a select cartoon character. That one, while incredibly cute on a baby, would look downright uncomfortably embarrassing on anyone, even more so than his Beast Whisperer Mark. Fortunately, he was wearing other clothes under his walking blanket. Maybe he should invest in something more manly… nah, then he'd look more embarrassing. Maybe just a proper hoodie and some better jeans? Too uncomfortable. Overalls? Snuggies? A trench coat, even? Meh. Although, he honestly should invest in some riding gear if he was going down the Riding Huntsman route, which was among the better ideas he's been given.

Next thing he knew, he was tripped, and fell right on top of someone. A woman, by the feeling of it, as they… oh, for crying out loud.

Jaune didn't have to get up, as Yang Xiao Long picked him up by the collar and threw him across the room. Yup, this was going to be a thing. Comic relief guy, here he is. At least he wasn't the only one in pain, as he saw Yang pick the guy who tripped him up by the… never mind, he was the only one in pain. Well, like his father always said.

"Lady Luck," Jaune said aloud. "I'm not her favorite."

"Evidently," a stoic young man said right next to Jaune. "Although, might I ask why you're wearing such a silly thing to bed?"

"You just did," Jaune stated boredly. "You'd better not laugh at this." He unzipped the front of his onesie and lifted his undershirt, baring his Beast Whisperer Mark. The young man in front of him simply sighed.

"You need to pray for a new Lady Luck," said the stoic one, scratching his neck in embarrassment. "On top of that, you may want to hide that."

"Hide what," a man taller than Jaune asked as he came around. "Does someone have a small - ."

"Don't make me answer that," Jaune interrupted Cardin. "Please, just don't."

"Well, it's okay," Cardin Winchester smiled, and Jaune immediately knew that he was going to try and barter for something. "I won't tell anyone if you just do me a few favors."

"I'd rather shout it at the top of my lungs," Jaune said bluntly. Cardin chuckled.

"Not if I do first," Cardin grinned evilly.

"Let's say it together then," Jaune grinned. The next thing anyone would know, Jaune and Cardin produced a cacophony of words, which people translated Cardin as saying something about Jaune having a small 'little man', while Jaune yelled that he owned a small cat. Everyone looked at the two, knowing that Cardin threatened to tell about something but remaining confused as to what it was. Cardin and Jaune looked at one another with raised eyebrows, wondering what the other said before the young black-haired man on the floor explained what everyone heard. Laughter followed slowly after he explained, expanding rather quickly.

"Yup," Jaune mumbled aloud. "It's a feature."

End

Endnotes: After much consideration, many nerves built up, many days of writing, a handful of boots to my rear, and an utter lack of income, I have decided to create a Page for those who would like to support this story. For now, I won't have much of a bonus for Patrons other than getting early access and the ability to aid in the creation of new chapters when I share (in a limited sense) the chapter with Patrons via Google Docs, my primary writing tool and the one I'm using now. If you would like to donate, you may find me under the name 'General Texas'. That also happens to be my Minecraft username, if you would like to play a game with me (fair warning about that, my internet connection is terrible until I can get a better router for my parents, who I am renting from… and they happen to be renting the entire house, so it's like a rent-ception right now).

Now if you'll excuse me, I have tons of things to work on and do, so as I always say, General Texas is out.

*Recent changes: story updated to not sound so stupid and so spoiler-y. Now with more of a Crocea Mors appearance, but Jaune still has his cavalry sabers. JUST TO MAKE THIS CLEAR: I changed the reason he has his sabers, from personal reasons that make little sense to a semi-valid reason. Also, a few problems with OCs have been resolved, as I have decided to make them from different academies. Final note, I know there are many story spoilers for the now-far future. I see the journey as more important than the end-goal. If you'd still prefer no spoilers in the future, I will try to do better in future 'seasons' of this series. Finally, reader input may be required in the future, so please tell me how I can change the story/make it better. Too late to anti-spoiler this story, not so for other ones. And now that I think about it, maybe I should go from being all angst-writing to some other types of stories. While it's on my mind, I'll change the plot of season 2 from angst-heavy to more along the lines of serious misfortune, as opposed to the comic relief that I'm going for this time around. Thank you.